Resources and Research

The Global Study provides a comprehensive overview of the sexual exploitation of children through travel and tourism – but it is not limited to a single report. Below you can also find studies of the situation in different regions and countries. Independent experts have also conducted research or written reports on different aspects of the issue, with perspectives from the travel and tourism sector, law enforcement agencies, governments, civil society, academics and international organizations.

This website is also a repository to share reports and research from other studies, organisations and institutions across the world working to end the exploitation of children in travel and tourism. We invite you to share your news, resources and practical examples on how to protect children in travel and tourism. Let’s create a central repository together!

Global

In June 2018, the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of the Capital District of Bogota (IDT), the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ...

The International Summit on Child Protection in Travel and Tourism was organized by the Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism - in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of the Capital ...

Despite 20 years of efforts, the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) has expanded across the globe and out-paced every attempt to respond at the international and national le ...

Have you ever taken a flight? Boarded a ship? Travelled by train or bus to another city? If you have, then you’re one of the millions of people who criss-cross our skies, sail our waters, and zip ba ...

The Child Welfare and the Travel Industry: Global Good Practice Guidelines have been developed by G Adventures, Friends International and Planeterra Foundation to provide a common understanding of chi ...

Regional

More children than ever are at risk of being sexually exploited by travellers and tourists and no country is immune. Since the early 1990s when evidence came to light that European nationals were sexu ...

The sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) is an intolerable and pressing issue that came into public debate in the early 1990s, when evidence that European nationals were sex ...

Tourist arrivals have quadrupled in Latin America since 1980, generating increased revenues in the region. Around three-quarters of all international travellers to Latin America originate in the U.S. ...

As part of the Global Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT) being conducted by End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking (ECPAT) International and its pa ...

The Pacific region is comprised of two large island nations (Australia and New Zealand) and 14 smaller, more sparsely populated Pacific island countries (PICs). The large islands are more highly devel ...

Southeast Asia welcomed a record 96.6 million international visitors in 2014 and was identified as the fastest growing region for tourism in the world. The current and forecast exponential growth in t ...

This regional report has been prepared as a contribution to the Global Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism conducted by ECPAT International in collaboration with numerou ...

Country

In Brazil, modern-day slavery and child labour are rampant. Many have raised concerns as to the effects of mega sports events on the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in a country alre ...

Today nearly one in ten tourists in the world is Chinese. All forecasts suggest that the growing trend will continue over the next few years and “will surely continue to change the map of world tour ...

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in travel and tourism is a reality that affects Colombian children living in different locations, beyond the cities and sites that are nationally ...

Tourism businesses should have a policy of zero tolerance towards any form of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and are committed to ensuring compliance with the rights of minors. T ...

The Public Health Foundation of Georgia (PHF) conducted a qualitative research on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Georgia, which contributed to the Global Study on the Sexual Expl ...

Child sex tourism (CST) or sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) is a growing threat to children in many countries all over the world, particularly those who receive significan ...

India is home to the biggest child population in the world. The country has an approximate of 440 million children, thus constituting more than 40% of the total population. With more than one-third of ...

Indonesia is one of the world’s major tourism destinations. The high tourism rate in Indonesia is influenced by easy access to its nationwide tourist attractions, high volume of flights and cheap ac ...

ECPAT and ANPPCAN Regional Office carried out research on the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism in Kenya in 2015. The purpose of the research was to strengthen the evidence-base an ...

This report Children and the Hotel Industry in Mexico by UNICEF spotlights the immense potential of the hotel industry to positively affect children’s rights. Key findings and areas of recommendati ...

This study was aimed at forming the basis for further activities aimed at protection of Russian children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism and at prevention of cases of sexual exploitatio ...

Some African countries are considered emerging tourism destinations for child sexual offenders. It is difficult to obtain statistics or figures on the scale and scope of such violations due to the lac ...

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is one of the most heinous forms of child rights violations in in the world including in Turkey. While, in Turkey, national and local reports and stud ...

How did Ukraine appear in the list of countries where commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is common? It is difficult to answer, because the problem is hidden and its reasons are comprehe ...

The sexual exploitation of children by local and international tourists is a growing concern and needs urgent attention, particularly from governments in developing countries. Tourism is a growing ind ...

Christiansen, Lurlene
This paper provides a snapshot of child sex tourism in a Samoan tourist setting, based on research conducted in 2009 that focused on the scope, risk factors and underlying cau ...

Sharron, Derek Kent; Manzanares, Julia
At its core, to continue to combat child prostitution, Thailand as a nation must develop greater respect for its women. Young girls must be taught they are able ...

Kai, J. Jonas, Guadamuz, Thomas
Travelling child sex offenders (TCSOs) are not a homogenous group. They can be disaggregated by purpose of travel and degree of intention, this is necessary in identif ...

Nolan, Ray – Sheffield Hallam University
The scale, scope and complexity of business structures, seasonal influences and vulnerability to negative publicity inherent in the international tourism se ...

Civil Society

The Code
The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code) was officially launched by ECPAT in Sweden in 1998. Since then it has become a tr ...

ECPAT International
A lack of data exists pertaining to the unique challenges and barriers that child victims of sexual exploitation, including sexual exploitation in travel and tourism, face when ac ...

ECPAT International
This report assess current international, regional and domestic legal responses to combat Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT). The report also aims to hi ...

Terre Des Hommes
In 2013, the Brunel University published a groundbreaking research on sexual exploitation and the FIFA World Cup. The key message conveyed was that although Mega Sporting Events may ...

Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children
Several of the key findings of the study merit comment. This is particularly true in light of the new commitments the international community and m ...

ECPAT International
It is necessary for States to have adequate legal and institutional frameworks to protect children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism. Companies that fail to protect c ...

ECPAT UK
This report presents a brief overview of the scale of child sexual exploitation and child trafficking in the UK, and describes existing and new national responses to child protection and an ...

Bread for the World – Tourism Watch
Projects in which volunteers directly work with children in schools, play schools, youth clubs or even orphanages are the most popular form of volun-tourism, als ...

International Justice Mission
Over the last ten years, International Justice Mission (IJM) has developed several unique methodologies to measure the prevalence of child sex trafficking in our project ...

International Coalition of Schools
The international task force on child protection is a coalition of a diverse range of stakeholders with child-related work that seeks to gather diverse perspectives ...

Better Volunteering Better Care
'Orphanage volunteering' or 'orphanage tourism' has become a popular activity among tourists, faith-based organisations, education providers and young people on gap ye ...

International Bureau for Children’s Rights
Laws that protect children from sexual exploitation are in place in most countries, their proper enforcement and implementation, however, are often proble ...

Save the Children
This is the first report to look into the sexual exploitation of children by travelling workers in the Solomon Islands. Broadly, the purpose of the report was to better understand t ...

ECPAT International
Child sexual exploitation is morphing and becoming more difficult and insidious. It also illustrates a larger phenomenon. As technology evolves, so does its use for child exploita ...

International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect
Aricle 34 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides the right to recovery and reintegration of children from sexual exp ...

ECPAT International
Children especially, those who have been victims of sexual abuse or exploitation by travelling sex offenders deserve protection at international, regional and domestic levels. At ...

Governments

Smith, Chris – Member of Congress of the United States of America
The International Labor Organization estimates that 1.8 million children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation around the w ...

Ministry of Tourism of Costa Rica
Costa Rica, a small territory located in the heart of the American continent, has become a tangible example of tourism synonymous with progress, well-being, socioeco ...

National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence Against Children, The Netherlands
In this paper, the Dutch government places the fight against sexual exploitation of children i ...

International Organisations

UNODC
The UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific recently undertook legislative reviews in the above four countries to examine the extent to which domestic legislation met key inter ...

UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography – Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Over time, the unique profile of a travelling child sex offender has become increas ...

UNWTO
Tourism’s sustained growth represents an enormous potential to spur economic development, social progress and intracultural exchange between people across the globe. However, with growth come ...

Australian Federal Police
Transnational child sexual exploitation is under-reported within many overseas jurisdictions. Cultural barriers and poor levels of community awareness, combined with relianc ...

INTERPOL
Child exploitation tends to be a local crime to be dealt with on a national level and INTERPOL can assist through networking, capacity building and sharing best practices. There are however ...

National Police of the Netherlands
The Dutch government, including the National Police of the Netherlands and the Public Prosecutors Office, recognises the importance of strong international collabor ...

Travel and Tourism Businesses

Carlson
The hospitality industry has a critical role to play in protecting the most vulnerable minors and women from trafficking as well as putting strong safeguards in place to prevent these crimes ...

Accor Hotels
Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT) is a crucial issue for an international hotel group such as AccorHotels. With over 170 million customers staying in its 3,80 ...

Kuoni Group
During the last nine years, Kuoni has taken a leading role by engaging with different stakeholders in building awareness regarding the vulnerability of children to sexual exploitation due ...

Calabash Tours
Calabash Tours and its NGO partner Calabash Trust are a social enterprise based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa engaging in volunteer tourism as a way of developing poor communities in ...